Former model Jennifer Thomas jailed for four years over drink-driving crash that killed her best friend

Jennifer Thomas, a 46-year-old former model from Cork, has been jailed for four years and banned from driving for ten years after she pled guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of her best friend and mother-of-two, Sheila Dunne, 50.

The former model reportedly sobbed in court as the sentence was imposed by Judge Helen Boyle at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday.

"Drink driving is a choice - a choice that ruins lives," Judge Boyle said according to RTE News. "The tragedy of this case is that it was entirely preventable - alcohol is an aggravating factor in this case."

Read more: Model Jennifer Thomas who drank prosecco, wine and gin before causing death of Cork mum faces jail

Read more: Social welfare Ireland: One group to be paid the Christmas Bonus twice

Jennifer had consumed 12 alcoholic drinks while out with Sheila on February 11 last year, including one Prosecco, one Mimosa, two Espresso Martinis, four gin and tonics and four glasses of red wine.

Det Garda Mark Durkan told the court that, during her attempt to drive home, the defendant fell asleep behind the steering wheel twice at traffic lights, narrowly missed a pedestrian, ran over several traffic cones, undertook two U-turns and drove on the wrong side of the road before losing control of her jeep at a sharp bend, hitting a ditch and overturning.

Judge Boyle praised the multiple concerned citizens who noticed the erratic driving and tried to intervene. At one point, Ms Thomas fell asleep behind the steering wheel for over eight minutes when stopped at a traffic light.

Judge Boyle said it was also an aggravating factor that Ms Thomas wrongly named Ms Dunne as the driver to gardaí.

The death of Ms Dunne left their two children without any living parent. The special needs assistant, was just 1.5 km from her home in Glanmire when the crash that ended her life occurred. The children had sadly lost their father Ted in February of 2021 from Covid.

"It is clear that Mrs Dunne was much loved... it is clear that the loss of Mrs Dunne has had an enormous impact on every aspect of the lives of her family and friends,” the judge said, noting the “incredible bravery” of her daughter Lilley Dunne who read an impact statement in court.

"She has been robbed of the love, support and comfort of her mother having lost her father just a short time previously."

Defence barrister Tom Creed said his client was hugely remorseful for her actions and accepted that getting behind the wheel drunk was an "outrageous" thing to do.

The court hear that Thomas had ten previous convictions for road traffic offences, larceny and misuse of drugs.

Sentencing her, Judge Boyle said the offence was at the upper end of the scale and while she understood no sentence will bring Ms Dunne back to her family, she had to take on board the plea of guilty and mitigation factors.

She jailed her for five years with the final year suspended.